Spanish at DePaul

Spanish is a major global language, with over 400 million speakers. It is also a major language of the United States, where it is spoken by over 30 million people. As the influence of Spanish-speaking cultures increases both here and worldwide, the mastery of Spanish helps open the door to several career opportunities. The Spanish Program at DePaul University offers courses in language, literature, culture, linguistics, cinema, commercial Spanish and translation/interpretation.

Majors and Minors

Major in Spanish

The major in Spanish consists of twelve courses plus MOL 396:

Students whose level of proficiency allows them to begin studying Spanish at DePaul in SPN 220 or higher may substitute 300 level courses for the three 200-level language courses. SPN 205 Grammar/Composition for the Heritage Speaker I, SPN 206 Grammar/Composition for the Heritage Speaker II and SPN 207 Advanced Conversation for the Heritage Speaker are strongly recommended to students of Hispanic background instead of SPN 201, 202, 203/204.

Minor in Spanish

Effective Autumn Quarter 2007, the minor in Spanish consists of any five courses in Spanish from the 200 or 300 levels. For students who declared the minor prior to Autumn Quarter 2007, at least two of these five courses must be at the 300 level. A Minor in Commercial Spanish includes SPN 320.

Career Opportunities

Recent DePaul graduates who majored in Spanish are now working in a variety of careers. Many are involved in education, teaching Spanish at the primary and secondary levels or working in bilingual programs. Several have pursued graduate study, both in Spanish and in other fields. Others work in business, government, law and medicine. Beyond providing students with practical communication skills, a major in Spanish emphasizes critical thinking, textual analysis, attention to detail and the in-depth study of other cultures.

Study Abroad

DePaul University has a study abroad program in Madrid, Spain, during the Fall quarter and in Merida, Mexico, during the Winter quarter. In both programs students attend classes at local universities, are housed with families, and have the opportunity to go to various excursions. For more information, select "Study Abroad" from the bottom menu.

Related Programs

The Department of Modern Languages, the Latin American and Latino Studies Program, and the Center for Latino research sponsor numerous events every year, including lectures, symposia, art exhibits, concerts, film series, and poetry readings. Through these and other programs DePaul University maintains strong links to Chicago's Latino communities and encourages student to take advantage of local cultural institutions, such as the Newberry Library and the Mexican Fine Arts Museum. There are also various student groups for those who are interested in Latino cultures.

Categories of 300-level courses

Language and Linguistics

Civilization and Cinema

All Spanish majors must take at least one course each in three of the four following categories:

Category I: Spanish Literature from Middle Ages through Golden Age

Category II: Spanish Literature from Enlightenment to present

Category III: Latin American Literature from origins through Romanticism

Category IV: Latin American Literature from Modernism to present

Variable topics

These courses may count in one or more of Categories I-IV, depending on course content.

Faculty